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Familiar Landmarks in hundreds of American towns, Carnegie libraries have shaped the public library experience of generations of Americans and today seen far from controversial. In Free to All, however, Abigail Van Slyck shows that the classical facades and symmetrical plans of these buildings often mask the complex and contentious circumstances of their construction and use.
Free to All is the first comprehensive social and architectural history of the Carnegie library phenomenon, an unprecedented program of philanthropy that helped erect over 1600 public library buildings in the United States.
Van Slyck skillfully untangles the overlapping and conflicting motives of the many people involved in erecting, staffing, and using the libraries: Andrew Carnegie himself; small-town civic boosters avid for new investment; metropolitan library trustees anxious to maintain the elite character of urban libraries; architects reacting to increased professional specialization; a growing number of female librarians; and the children and adults, frequently immigrants, who came to borrow books.
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Previews available in: English
Subjects
Architecture and society, Carnegie libraries, Civilization, History, Library architecture, Public libraries, Social aspects of Public libraries, Long Now Manual for Civilization, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Aspect social, Public, Commercial & Industrial, Bibliotheques, Architecture, Civilisation, Bibliotheques publiques, Bouwkunst, Buildings, Social aspects, Histoire, Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies), Openbare bibliotheken, Architecture et societe, Carnegie, andrew, 1835-1919, Philanthropists, Public libraries, history, United states, civilization, 1865-1918Places
United StatesTimes
1865-1918, 19th century, 20th centuryShowing 2 featured editions. View all 2 editions?
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1
Free to all: Carnegie libraries & American culture, 1890-1920
1995, University of Chicago Press
in English
0226850315 9780226850313
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2
Free to all: Carnegie libraries and the transformation of American culture, 1886-1917
1990, University Microfilms International
Microform
in English
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Book Details
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-270) and index.
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Scriblio MARC recordmarc_cca MARC record
Internet Archive item record
marc_openlibraries_phillipsacademy MARC record
marc_openlibraries_sanfranciscopubliclibrary MARC record
Internet Archive item record
Better World Books record
Library of Congress MARC record
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marc_columbia MARC record
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Feedback?July 18, 2024 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
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